3–5 circle area, puppets - cloud object storage | … develop… · facility and equipment:circle...

1

lchrsActivity: Circle Time Discussion

Ages: 3–5Value(s): Caring

Facility and Equipment: Circle area, puppets

Description:1. Say to the children, “This is my caring box. What color is the box? Can you think of any

reason why I might have chosen red for my caring or love box?” (Pull out a big redheart.) “I painted the box red because when I think of love, it reminds me of red heartsand valentines. Our caring box is red. I have something special in my box.” Pull out twopuppets and introduce them to the group. Tell the children that the puppets are going tohelp teach the class about what it means to care about people. Have the puppets takeover and be the new focal point. Have the puppets speak to the children and askquestions or generate a discussion related to the following:a. “Who do you know that loves you or cares about you?”b. “What do these people do to show you they care about you?”c. “How do we feel when they do these nice things for us, when they show they care?”d. “What does it mean to care about somebody?”e. “How could we show people that we care about them?”f. “How do you think these people will feel when we do all of these nice, caring things

for them?”2. To keep circle time concrete, plan to pull props out of the box: a red heart, a small toy,

a treat, a wrapped present, a sign with the words “I love you,” etc. Have the puppetshug, say “I love you,” and perform other caring acts.

3. Tell the group that you have lots of games, songs, and activities to help them practicecaring.

Complements: Abundant Assets Alliance

2

lchrsActivity: Story Time


Facility and Equipment: Circle area of book corner

Description:1. Read any or all of the following books to the children. Discuss the characters. Ask,

“What did they do to show they cared? How did the characters in the story feel whenthey did something nice for someone or someone did something nice back to them?”Ask open-ended questions that relate to the content of the story. Most of these stories areold favorites that can be found in the library or the children’s section of any bookstore:a. “The Runaway Bunny”: A mother bunny loves her baby so much that she vows to

stay by his side forever.b. “I’ll Love You Forever”: A warm story about a family’s love.c. “Beauty and the Beast”: A lovely young women is kind and caring and helps turn a

beastly creature into a handsome man.d. “Cinderella”: The opposite of kind is cruel or mean. Cinderella’s stepmother and

stepsisters were mean to her.


3

lchrsActivity: Songs


Facility and Equipment: Introduce during a group or other appropriate time. Sing asthe urge hits you.

Description:1. Barney Song:

I love you, you love meWe’re a happy familyWith a great big hugAnd a kiss from me to you.Won’t you say you love me too?

2. Friends:Make new friends but keep the oldOne is silver and the other gold.A circle is round and never endsThat’s how long I’m going to be your friend.

3. Hush Little BabyHush little baby don’t cry, mama’s gonna buy you a mocking bird.And if that mocking bird won’t sing, mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.And if that diamond ring turns to brass, mama’s gonna buy you a looking glass.And if that looking glass gets broke, mama’s gonna buy you a Shetland pony.And if that Shetland pony won’t pull, mama’s gonna buy you a cart and bull.And if that cart and bull turn over, mama’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover.And if that dog named Rover won’t bark, mama’s gonna buy you a horse and cart.And if that horse and cart fall down, you’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

4

lchrsActivity: Mother’s Day Luncheon


Facility and Equipment: Classroom or lunchroom, paper products, flowers, food, presents

Description:1. Discuss Mother’s Day with the preschoolers. Say, “Mother’s Day is a day set aside to

show your mom just how much she means to you. What kinds of things can you do toshow your mom you care?” Let the group generate a list of ideas. Tell the group that youhave an idea. “How about inviting your mothers back to the center on a school day tohave lunch with us?”

2. Have the children draw up the invitations, design place mats, plan the menu, anddiscuss gift options.

3. Make and wrap the gifts.4. Have the children prepare as much of the luncheon as possible. Options include: finger

sandwiches, fruit salad, cookies, punch, etc.5. When mothers arrive, have each child greet his or her mom with a fresh flower. After

lunch, pass out presents. Send moms back to work.6. Later in the day, debrief with the children. Ask them, “How did it feel to have your moms

here? How did you think your moms felt that you made lunch and gave them flowersand handmade gifts? We did all of these things to show we care. When we show wecare, we make other people feel good.”


5

lchrsActivity: Father’s Day Breakfast


Facility and Equipment: Classroom, paper products, presents, food

Description:1. Discuss Father’s Day with the preschoolers. Say, “Father’s Day is a day set aside to

show your dad just how much he means to you. What kinds of things can you do toshow your dad you care?” Let the children generate a list of ideas. Tell the group thatyou have an idea. “How about inviting your fathers to the center on a school day tohave breakfast with us when they drop you off?”

2. Have the children draw up the invitations, design place mats, plan the menu, anddiscuss gift options.

3. Make and wrap the gifts.4. Have the children prepare as much of the breakfast as possible. Options include:

muffins, fruit, juice, sausage, etc.5. When fathers arrive, have each child lead his or her dad to the breakfast buffet. After

breakfast, pass out presents. Send dad to work.6. Later in the day, debrief with the children. Ask them, “How did it feel to have breakfast

with your dads? How do you think your dads felt when we made them breakfast andgave them handmade gifts? We did all of these things to show we care. When we showwe care, we make other people feel good.”


6

lchrsActivity: Valentine’s Day Party


Facility and Equipment: Classroom, Valentine’s boxes, paper products, food

Description:1. Gather the children a few days before Valentine’s Day. Ask the children, “What holiday

is coming up? Does anyone know why we celebrate Valentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day isa day set aside to show people just how much we care for them. How can we do that?One way we show we care is by giving our family and friends valentines.”

2. Make valentines for mom and dad.3. Have a Valentine’s Day party. Have the children exchange valentines.


7

lchrsActivity: Making Dog Bones for the Dog Pound


Facility and Equipment: Kitchen, ingredients for dog bones, learning center

Description:1. Contact the local dog pound and tell them what you would like to do. Ask if there are

any restrictions.2. During a unit on pets, tell the group that some dogs do not have homes, and they live at

the dog pound instead. People who want dogs can go there and adopt them.3. Say, “Let’s show these dogs that we care about them by making them a special treat.

What do you think dogs like to eat? Bones and biscuits. Let’s make them some dogbones and biscuits.”

4. Make dog biscuits. Use this recipe:2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour1/2 cup powdered dry milk1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon garlic powder6 tablespoons margarine, shortening, or meat drippings1 egg1 teaspoon brown sugar1/2 cup ice waterCombine flour, milk, salt, and flour. Put in the shortening. Mix in the egg. Add enoughwater until the mixture forms a ball. Pat the dough to a half-inch thickness on a lightlyoiled cookie sheet. Cut with cutters and remove scraps. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350degrees. This recipe may be varied by adding pureed soup greens, liver powder, etc.

5. If you can take a field trip to the dog pound, deliver the dog biscuits yourself. If youcan’t, you might just ship them or deliver them after hours.

8

lchrsActivity: Making Greeting Cards


Facility and Equipment: Art table, mural paper, construction paper, markers, crayons, paste,scissors, etc.

Description:1. As occasions arise where it’s appropriate for the preschool class to make or send a

greeting card, introduce the concept to the children.2. Suitable occasions include: when a classmate or teacher is sick, moving away, coming

back after an extended absence, having a birthday, moving up to the next classroom,etc.

3. Discuss ways that we can either make our friends feel better, show we care, or showthem we will miss them. Say, “How can we show them we care? We can make them acard.”

4. Make cards.5. Talk about how the friend or teacher will feel when they see the card. Tell them, “We

feel good when we know that someone cares enough to give us a card.”


9

lchrsActivity: Kind or Unkind


Facility and Equipment: Circle area, puppets are optional

Description:1. Ask the children if they remember when we played True/Not True game. Tell them that

today we’re going to play a game just like that except that it’s called “ThingsPreschoolers Say…Kind or Unkind.”

2. Say, “Sometimes I hear our preschoolers say these things. Tell me if you think it’s a kindthing to say or a mean thing.”a. “You can’t come to my party.”b. “I’m having a birthday party and I will invite all my friends so no one feels left out.”c. “You’re not my friend anymore.”d. “Thanks for letting me play at your house. I had fun.”e. “I don’t like you.”f. “That’s a really pretty dress you’re wearing.”g. “Those are really cool shoes.”h. Grabbing a toy when a classmate puts it down, even though you know he’s not

done playing with it and saying, “You put it down, it’s mine now.”i. “I really would like to play with that toy. Can I have it when you’re finished?”j. “That’s an ugly picture.”k. “Wow, what a neat building. Look at all of those blocks.”

3. You may want to use puppets to act out these scenarios.


10

lchrsActivity: Art, Caring Collage


Facility and Equipment: Art table, construction paper, scissors, paste, family magazines(Good Housekeeping, Parents, Parenting, Working Mom, Modern Dad,Family Fun, Family Life, etc.)

Description:1. Set out the materials to make a caring collage.2. Instruct the children to think about all of those things we do (or others do for us) to show

we care. They should look in the magazines for pictures of people doing things togetherto show they care or to show that they love each other. After cutting out all of thepictures, paste them onto the construction paper to make a caring collage.

3. Display the pictures under an “Our Caring Collage” heading.


11

lchrsActivity: Daddy Rocks the Bear


Facility and Equipment: Circle area, stuffed animal bear

Description:1. Gather children in a circle. Remind them that we’ve been talking about ways to show

people that we care. Say, “Today we have a special visitor to our group. This is TeddyBear. I want you to think about all of the things that you could do for Teddy Bear to lethim know that you care. I’ll start.” Rock the bear in your arms gently and sing softly,“Daddy rocks the bear. Daddy rocks the bear. Daddy rocks the bear, because he loveshim so.” Sing again and substitute your name for daddy.

2. Give the bear a big hug and pass it to the child sitting next to you. Ask the child, “Whatcan you do for the bear to show love?” If children need prompting, suggest rock, hug,hold, tickle, bounce, feed, burp, etc. Sing the song with the child’s name and idea.

3. Pass the bear around until each child has a turn.


12

lchrsActivity: Adopt a Grandparent


Facility and Equipment: Classroom

Description:1. Many children do not have grandparents nearby and miss the nurturing, wisdom, and

stories that grandparents share. You can rectify that by inviting an active older adultmember or senior volunteer to become the preschool adopted grandparent. Invite thegrandparent to visit the class during special occasions. Adopted grandparents can readto the children, teach a new song, tell a story, show them how to plan a game, or justprovide nurturing (a lap to sit on and a hug not and then).

2. Children can make treats, cards, and gifts to show their adopted grandparent how muchthey care.


13


Ages: 3–5Value(s): Honesty


Description:1. Say to the children, “This is my honesty box. What color is the box? Can you think of

any reason why I might have chosen blue for my box? That’s a tough one. Another wordfor honesty is true. Can you think of a color that rhymes with or sounds like true? That’sright true/blue. Our honesty box is blue. I have something special in my box.” Pull outtwo puppets and introduce them to the group. Tell the children that the puppets aregoing to help teach the class about honesty. Have the puppets take over and be the newfocal point. Have the puppets speak to the children and ask questions or generate adiscussion related to the following:a. “Honesty is a new word. Can anyone tell me what they think honesty means?

Basically, honesty means to tell the truth; not to lie, or to be fair and not cheat. Thetruth is my name is your name here . A lie would be that I am 4 years old.”

b. “Why do you think it is important to tell the truth?”c. “How do you feel when people are honest and tell you the truth?”d. “How would you feel if someone lied to you or told you something that wasn’t true?”e. “When you’re playing a game and somebody cheats by taking too many turns or

they play the game wrong on purpose, how do you feel? It’s always more fun toplay with people who are honest and don’t cheat.”

2. Tell the group that you have lots of games, songs, and activities to help understandabout this new word “honesty.”


14



Facility and Equipment: Circle area or book corner

Description:1. Read any or all the following books to the children. Discuss the characters. Ask, “What

happened when the characters told a lie? How did it affect everyone else in the story?How did they feel about telling a lie? How did they feel when the truth came out? Whyis it better to tell the truth all of the time?” Ask open-ended questions that relate to thecontent of the story. These stories are old favorites that can be found in the library or thechildren’s section of any bookstore.a. “Peter and the Wolf”: Peter learns the consequences of not telling the truth.b. “Pinocchio”: Pinocchio’s nose continues to grow longer with each lie he tells.


15



Facility and Equipment: Introduce at circle time or other appropriate times

Description:1. Sing to the tune of “Where is Thumpkin?”

I am HonestI am honest, I am honestIf you look, you will seeSomeone very honest, someone very honest, yes it’s me, yes it’s me.

2. Sing to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands”If you’re honest and you know it, clap your handsIf you’re honest and you know it, clap your handsIf you’re honest and you know it, then your words and acts will show itIf you’re honest and you know it, clap your hands

3. Who Stole the CookieClass says, “Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? Child’s name stole the cookie from the cookie jar.”Child says, “Who me?”Class says, “Yes, you.”Child says, “Couldn’t be.”Class says, “Then, who?”Child says, “(Names another child) stole the cookie from the cookie jar.”Continue until every child has a turn. The last child answers, “Possibly!”


16

lchrsActivity: True/Not True


Facility and Equipment: Circle area or learning center

Description:1. Cut blue and red circles from construction paper that are 2 1/2" in diameter. Glue to

tongue depressors. Make enough so each child has both a blue sign and red sign.2. Ask the children if they can tell the difference between something that is true (or right),

and something that is not true (or wrong). Give an example. Say, “The sky is blue. Is thistrue or not true? Cats are always white. True or not true? Let’s try again with our signs. IfI say something that is true, I’d like you to hold up the blue sign (blue for true blue). If itis not true, or a lie, hold up the red sign (red for stop, that’s not true). Continue withsimple, concrete facts and make it more difficult as they master the task.

3. Examples include:a. Point to your nose and say, “That is my eye.”b. “Ants are much smaller than elephants.”c. Take a cookie out of the cookie jar and eat it. Then say to your mom or dad, “No, I

didn’t eat the cookie.”d. You left your bike outside in the driveway. When your mom or dad asks if you put

your bike away, you say, “No, I left it on the driveway.”Adapted from “Teaching Your Children Values” by Linda and Richard Eyre


17

lchrsActivity: Doing the Right Thing



Description:1. Say, “Remember when we played the True/Not True game with our blue and red sticks?

We’re going to play a similar game today about doing the right thing.” Share eachscenario (feel free to act out with puppets). Ask the children if it was the right thing orthe wrong thing.a. “You find a toy in your cubby, but you know it’s not yours. You really like this toy

and you would like to keep it. Do you stay quiet and just take it home, or do you tellsomeone?”

b. “You are at the grocery store with your mom and she says you can pick out one toy.You pick out a Slinky and begin to play with it. As you move through the checkout,you forget to give your Slinky to the checker so your mom can pay for it. Do youremind your mom that she didn’t pay for your Slinky or do you just keep quiet?”

c. “You’re at home and you accidentally knock over a plant. Your baby brother crawlsover and starts to play in the dirt. Your dad comes into the room and he is angrywith your brother because he thinks he knocked over the plant. Do you tell your dadyou did it even though you know he might be angry?”

d. Continue with other relevant scenarios. Ask the children for ideas.


18

lchrsActivity: Board Games


Facility and Equipment: Learning center, board games like Candyland and Chutes and Ladders

Description:1. Take advantage of teachable moments when the board games are out. Discuss why it’s

so important to play by the rules. Ask, “How do you feel when you lose? Disappointed?You might be tempted to take an extra turn or move your game piece a few morespaces than you should. You may even be tempted not to give up the right cards whenyou play Old Maid. That’s called cheating. And even if we win when we cheat, wedon’t feel very good about it. If our friends find out we’ve cheated, they get angry withus and may not want to play games with us anymore. It’s just not worth it!”

19

lchrsActivity: “Isabel’s Little Lie”


Facility and Equipment: Circle area

Description:1. Make the following flannel board pieces: a dog, a chicken bone, a little girl, a mother,

and a veterinarian.2. Tell the following story to help the children understand how one lie can lead to another

and produce serious consequences:One day Isabel told a little lie. She wasn’t supposed to feed her dinner to her dog,Barker, but she did anyway. When her mother came in and saw her daughter’s platewas clean, Isabel said that she had eaten it all. (That was a little lie, wasn’t it?) Thedinner was chicken, and Barker got a bone stuck in his throat. Pretty soon he started tocough and snort and act uncomfortable. “Do you know what’s wrong with Barker?”Mother asked. “No,” Isabel said. (That was another lie, wasn’t it? But Isabel had to do itso that her mother wouldn’t know she told the first lie.) Mother looked in Barker’s mouthbut couldn’t see anything. “Did Barker eat something, Isabel?” “I don’t know, Mommy.”(That was another lie, wasn’t it? But she didn’t want her mother to know about the firsttwo lies.)Barker got worse so Mother took him to the animal hospital. Isabel went, too. “Whathappened to the dog?” asked the doctor. “We don’t know,” Isabel said. (That wasanother lie, wasn’t it? But if Isabel had told, then Mother and the dog doctor wouldknow that she had lied before.) The dog doctor said, “If it’s just a bone, we could get itout with an instrument, but it might be glass, so we may have to operate.”Isabel decided it was time to tell the truth. She said, “It’s a bone, and I did know Barkerate it, and I didn’t eat all my dinner, and I did give it to Barker, and I won’t tell liesanymore, because if you tell one, you might have to tell more and more.” Isabel startedto cry, but her mother loved her and she decided Isabel really would tell the truth fromthen on.

3. Discuss. “What was the first lie that Isabel told? The second? The third?” (They may needa little prompting). “What happened each time she told a lie? She had to tell anotherone to cover up for the first lie.”

Adapted from “Teaching Your Children Values” by Linda and Richard Eyre


20

lchrsActivity: Conflict Resolution


Facility and Equipment: Introduce at appropriate times

Description:1. When teaching children social skills and helping them to resolve conflict, it is important

that children are able to step back and replay an incident, so they understand whatreally happened. Admit to them that sometimes we’re tempted to stretch the truth or tell itjust a little differently from how it actually happened, so that we will get what we want.When resolving conflict, give each of the children their chance to tell the story, to tell thestory as it actually happened. Reinforce the child verbally who may have to disclose hisor her role in the conflict, especially if it’s really tough to admit it. Work with the childrento explore alternatives or ways to deal wit the conflict to their mutual satisfaction.


21


Ages: 3–5Value(s): Respect


Description:1. Say to the children, “Let me explain a rule we have called The Golden Rule. The Golden

Rule is to treat other people the way that you want to be treated. It means if you wantpeople to be nice to you, you must be nice to them first. If you want your friends toshare, what do you need to do? What was this rule called again? That’s right, TheGolden Rule. This is my respect box. The word ‘respect’ is kind of like The Golden Rule.It means being kind and fair, being polite, and really caring not just about people, butabout the way they feel. What color is the box? Can you think of any reason why Imight have chosen yellow for my respect box? That’s right, because respect reminds meof The Golden Rule, therefore, the respect box is a color similar to gold: yellow. I havesomething special in my box.” Pull out two puppets and introduce them to the group. Tellthe children that the puppets are going to help teach the class about what it means toshow respect or care about the way that other people feel. Have the puppets take overand be the new focal point. Have the puppets speak to the children and ask questionsor generate a discussion related to the following:a. “How do you talk to people who are much older than you?”b. “How do you treat people that you really like and admire…your mom, dad,

teachers, baby sitters, older cousins, etc.?”c. “Why do you think your mom, dad, and teachers want you to use words like

‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘excuse me,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ etc.?”d. “How do we feel when we say or do these nice things?”e. “How do you think others feel when we do these things to or for them?”f. “How can we show people that we respect them?”

2. Expect to hear the following words: right thing, polite, minding mom/dad/teachers,love, and manners. Print the words on a large sheet of paper to remind staff, parents,and children.

3. Tell the group that you have lots of games, songs, and activities to help practice respect.


22




Description:1. Read any or all of the following books to children. Discuss the characters. “What did

they do to show respect?” Who were the heroes? Who did they admire? What did theylike about them? How did the character in the story feel when they did something nicefor someone or someone did something nice back to them?” Ask open-ended questionsthat relate to the content of the story. Most of these stories are old favorites that can befound in the library or the children’s section of any bookstore.a. “Oscar the Grouch”: Oscar is rude, is that very respectful?b. “William’s Doll”: Even though grandma thought it wasn’t a good idea, the family

chose to honor or respect William’s wish to have a doll.c. “Amos and Boris”: The mutual respect, help, and friendship of a mouse and a

whale.d. “The Three Bears”: Was Goldilocks respectful of the bears’ possessions?


23



Facility and Equipment: Introduce during a group or other appropriate time. Sing as the urgehits you.

Description:1. Say, “People are difference in many ways, but they’re also like us. We respect what

makes us different and celebrate what makes us alike. Now we’re going to sing somesongs about respect.”

2. It’s a Small World After AllIt’s a world of laughterA world of tearsIt’s a world of hopesAnd a world of fearsThere’s so much that we shareThat it’s time we’re awareIt’s a small world after allIt’s a small world after allIt’s a small world after allIt’s a small, small world

3. Thank You Very MuchThank you very much.That’s the nicest thing that anyone’s ever done for me.(Ask children what would be nice things others could do for us that we would bethankful for. Sing this song after each suggestion.)

Complements: Diversity Initiative

24

lchrsActivity: The Talking Stick


Facility and Equipment: Circle area, a decorated talking stick

Description:1. Discuss how sometimes when we are in a group and have information to share, we are

so excited that everyone tries to talk at once. Say, “One of the ways that we could showrespect and listen to just one person at a time is to use a talking stick. Let’s try this todayand see how it works.”

2. Say, “During group, if you have an answer to one of my questions or you havesomething to add to the group, just raise your hand. That lets me know you would like totalk and I, or one of your fellow classmates, will pass you the talking stick. While youhave the talking stick, you are free to talk and your classmates will listen quietly. Let’ssee how it goes.”

3. Proceed with the group time discussion topic you had planned.4. Process with the group. Ask, “How did it go? How did you feel when you had the

talking stick and everyone was showing respect and listening to you? It feels good whenpeople respect our time to talk. Sometimes when we have things to say, we want tointerrupt and say them quickly before we forget or before we lose the excitement, butthat’s really not very nice. It’s disrespectful. To show respect, we really should wait untilthe person who is speaking is finished, and then we can have our turn to share.”


25

lchrsActivity: Setting Classroom Limits



Description:1. Gather the children together for a group discussion. Tell them that today you’re going to

talk about rules. “Why do you think we have rules in the classroom? Basically, we’ve setup rules to do three things: to keep you safe, to keep others safe, and to make sure thatour toys, equipment, and furniture don’t get broken. Actually, we have rules that helprespect ourselves, respect our friends, and respect our classroom property.”

2. “Let’s make a list of all the things that we should and shouldn’t do to keep us safe, keepour friends safe and free from harm, and to protect our toys and furniture from gettingbroken. Work with the children to generate a list. Expect to hear (or be prepared toprompt) the following: “Keep our hands to ourselves. Use our words to solve ourproblems. Be gentle with the toys and use them the way they’re supposed to be used.”

3. Say, “Does everyone agree that these are good rules? Let’s try really hard to respectand obey them here at preschool.”


26

lchrsActivity: Guidance and Discipline


Facility and Equipment: None

Description:1. Even though the children have agreed to the rules, sometimes it will be hard to

overcome their impulses and they will break the rules. When they do, here is a simpleand effective five-step approach to guidance and discipline that is built on respect.Begin by:a. Identifying the behavior: “You just hit Susan.”b. Reflect the child’s feelings: “I know you were angry with her because she took your

toy.”c. State the impact or the consequences: “Susan is crying.”d. State your response: “I can’t let you hurt Susan.”e. Identify the alternative or appropriate behavior. “When you’re angry with Susan,

you have to tell her so with your words. Say, “Susan, that makes me angry, give memy toy back.”

By reflecting the child’s feelings, explaining why the behavior is not appropriate, andoffering an alternative, you are modeling a respectful interaction pattern.


27

lchrsActivity: The Manners Game



Description:1. Gather children together for group. Ask if anyone knows what manners are. “Why are

they important? Why do we like to see or hear them? Share some examples with them.“If they need prompting, use the following examples:a. “excuse me”b. “please”c. “thank you”d. “I’m sorry.”e. “may I?”f. waiting until someone is through speaking instead of interruptingg. chewing up all of your food and swallowing before talkingh. offering someone some of your food or candy instead of eating in front of themi. saying “hello” when people speak to you even if you’re shyj. introducing your friends to your parents or grandparents if they don’t know themk. waiting in line for your turn

2. Say, “This week we’re going to work on using our manners. Each time one of theteachers hears or sees anyone using good manners, he or she gets to put a gold star onthe manners chart. If we fill up our manners chart by the end of the week, we will havea special prize on Friday. What would be a good prize?” Let the group generate a listof possible prizes. Pick one from the list.

3. Using the puppets you’ve pulled out of the respect box, act out different scenarios wherethe children can see the puppets using manners, reinforcing in a concrete manner thisimportant principle.


28

lchrsActivity: Manner Puppets


Facility and Equipment: Art table, white athletic socks, fabric glue, buttons, felt, yarn,scissors, etc.

Description:1. Set out white athletic socks, fabric glue, buttons, felt, yarn, etc. During small group

activities, ask each child to make a Ms. Manners or Mr. Manners sock puppet.2. Set up a puppet stage made from a table and a cardboard box.3. When the children are finished making their puppets, encourage them to create a show

to teach their fellow classmates about manners. The teachers may need to prompt them.


29

lchrsActivity: Language Fun



Description:1. Help children show respect for others by learning their languages or means in which

they communicate. Conduct some basic research and be prepared to:a. Teach children to count from 1 to 10 in Spanish.b. Teach children simple words in French.c. Teach children a few phrases in sign language.

Complements: Abundant Assets Alliance, Diversity Initiative, International Involvement

30

lchrsActivity: Just Say No



Description:1. Say, “There are some substances that are bad for our bodies. Does anyone know what

they might be? Too much sugar? Cigarettes? Drugs? Alcohol? One of the ways that wecan respect our bodies is by saying no to these substances.” Contact the AmericanHeart Association and the American Lung Association for anti-smoking materials, theAmerican Dietetic Association for chef combo and nutrition materials, and the localpolice department for DARE materials. Use these materials in planning concrete lessonsfor preschoolers.

Complements: Activate America

31

lchrsActivity: Anti-bias Curriculum



Description:1. To help children respect and accept their friends who might look or act differently from

them, it is critical that you set up an anti-bias environment. Introduce anti-bias activitiesand take advantage of teachable moments. Acknowledge that it is good that there aredifferences in the way we look, the things we can do, the language we speak, etc. Byexperiencing differences, we learn to accept and respect them. Try to incorporate thefollowing in your anti-bias curriculum:a. multicultural crayons, markers, and construction paperb. multicultural and anti-bias dollsc. gender-free stereotyping in dolls, books, and picturesd. pictures and posters that represent a number of different races, ethnic groups,

disabilities, etc.e. music, art materials, guest speakers, etc. that represent a different culturesf. ethnic foods from other countries

Complements: Abundant Assets Alliance, Diversity Initiative

32

lchrsActivity: Holidays Celebrated Around the World



Description:1. Say, “Holidays are a time for caring, sharing, and celebrating. Here at the YMCA,

many of us celebrate Christmas, but not everyone celebrates Christmas. Other religionsand other countries have different holidays that they celebrate. It’s kind of fun to find outwhat they celebrate, so we can better understand and accept the things that make ussimilar and the things that make us different.”

2. Introduce: Kwanza, Chinese New Year, and Hanukkah. In January and throughout thespring, introduce Martin Luther King Day, Passover, and Easter. Most preschoolcurriculum books cover these topics in a concrete manner.

Complements: Diversity Initiative, International Involvement

33

lchrsActivity: Thank You Cards


Facility and Equipment: Circle area, art table

Description:1. Say, “One of the ways that we show respect is by making sure that we let people who

have done something special for us know how much we appreciate (liked) what they didfor us. For example, if someone gives you a present, what do you say? ‘Thank you.’That’s one way we show respect. Sometimes when people do something nice, we wantto show our respect by doing more than just saying thank you, we want to send them athank you card. It shows that we made more of an effort. Saying thank you and sendinga picture and card are just the right things to do.”

2. Discuss times to send thank you notes that can be drawn or dictated: after a field trip,when someone brings in a special treat, when we have a guest come to our classroom,when a volunteer or helper leaves, when someone does something really nice, etc. Say,“At the art table, let’s make a special thank you card for __.”


34

lchrsActivity: Keeping Our Bodies Healthy


Facility and Equipment: Art table, construction paper, markers, crayons, tape, scissors, paste,tissues

Description:1. Say, “One way that we can practice respect is by showing respect for our bodies, or

doing the right things to try and stay healthy. What kinds of things can we do to stayhealthy? Eat the right foods each day: some meat or fish; fruits and vegetables; milk,cheese, and yogurt; and bread, pasta, rise, and cereal. We should get ourimmunization shots and plenty of sleep. We should also be careful not to get too closeto people who are sick. Washing our hands before we eat and after we use thebathroom also helps us to stay healthy.

2. “Another way that we can show that we respect others would be to try not to spread ourgerms. That is why it’s so important that when we feel like we have to sneeze or cough,we should cover our nose and mouth and wash our hands afterward. Today, we’regoing to work on an art project that helps to remind us to do just that.”

3. Use pink, brown, tan, or peach colored construction paper. Cut out an oval shape.Have the children draw in their eyes, nose, and mouth. Have the children trace theirhands on construction paper. (The older children can cut the hands out with scissors; theyounger children will need to have an adult cut them out.) Set out paste and a box oftissues. Instruct the children that when they feel a sneeze or cough coming on, theyshould grab a tissue and cover their nose and mouth…just like we’re going to do in thisart project. The order is:a. child’s face (oval)b. pastec. tissued. pastee. hand

4. Display these pictures under a heading that says, “Preschoolers cover their noses andmouths when they sneeze or cough.”

Complements: Activate America

35

lchrsActivity: Group Time Discussion

Ages: 3–5Value(s): Responsibility


Description:1. Say to the children, “This is my responsibility box. Wow, that is a really a big word.

Does anyone know what ‘responsibility’ or ‘being responsible’ for something means? Itmeans to be in charge of something, to take care of something. It’s just a job you haveto do. What color in the box? Can you think of any reason why I might have chosengreen for my responsibility box? I painted the box green because when I think ofresponsibly, I think of being responsible for cutting the grass and keeping it free ofpaper and other litter. Our responsibility box is green. I have something special in mybox.” Pull out two puppets and introduce them to the group. Tell the children that thepuppets are going to help teach the class about what it means to be responsible. Havethe puppets take over and be the new focal point. Have the puppets speak to thechildren and ask questions or generate a discussion related to the following:a. “What kinds of chores or jobs do you have at home? You are responsible for those

things.”b. “What kinds of chores or jobs do you have to do here at school? You are

responsible for those things.”c. “We’re also responsible for ourselves. Does anyone have an idea of what that

means? It means things like keeping our hands to ourselves, cleaning up afterourselves, making sure that we eat healthy foods, getting lots of rest, taking ourvitamins to stay healthy, and following the rules in the classroom. Part of beingresponsible for ourselves is not blaming others when we make a mistake, lose agame, or break something.”

d. “Can you think of anything else that you might be responsible for?”2. Tell the group that you have lots of games, songs, and activities to help practice

responsibility.


36




Description:1. Read any or all of the following books to children. Discuss the characters. “What did the

characters do to show they were responsible? What would have happened if they didnot assume the responsibility? Ask open-ended questions that relate to the content of thestory. Most of these stories are old favorites that can be found in the library or thechildren’s section of any bookstore.a. “Horton Hatches an Egg”: Horton feels responsible for staying with the egg in the

nest and keeping the egg warm.b. “The Little Engine That Could”: The engine assumes responsibility for getting toys to

the children and overcomes great obstacles to fulfill that responsibility.c. “The Giving Tree”: The Giving Tree feels responsible for meeting the boy’s needs

because he cares for him so much.d. “The Little Red Hen”: Farm animals who fail to take responsibility for picking the

wheat, milling it into flour, and baking the bread do not get to enjoy the finishedproduct.


37



Facility and Equipment: Introduce during a group or other appropriate time. Sing asthe urge hits you.

Description:1. Polly’s Dolly

Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sickSo she called for the doctor to come quick, quick, quick.The doctor came with his bad and his hatAnd he knocked on the door with a rat-tat-tat-tat.He looked at the dolly and he shook his headHe said, “Polly put her straight to bed.”He wrote on a paper for a pill, pill, pillAnd said, “I’ll be back in the morning if she’s sick still, still.”(Polly was responsible for the health of her dolly, getting her to the doctor, and makingsure she took her pill.)

2. Clean-up SongIt’s clean-up time in the nurseryIt’s time for boys and girlsTo stop what they are doing nowAnd put away their toys(We’re all responsible for putting the toys back on the shelf and keeping our roomsclean and neat.)

3. Sing to the tune of “Mulberry Bush.”This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teethThis is the way be brush our teeth so early in the morning.Substitute: comb our hair, wash the table, sweep the floor, etc.(We all have chores or jobs that we’re responsible for doing.)

4. This Land is My LandThis land is my land, this land is your landFrom California to New York harborFrom the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waterThis land is made for you and me.(Discuss our responsibility to the land, the water, and the trees.)


38

lchrsActivity: Classroom Helper Chart



Description:1. Working with the children, create a list of jobs, duties, or responsibilities that they can

take on to help keep the preschool room functioning smoothly. Develop a chart withpictures and words for each job. Write each child’s name on a card. At the beginningof each week, assign a child to a job or duty for the week. They are responsible forseeing that their jobs get done (with reminders and help if necessary from the teacher).

2. Jobs can include:a. help clean out a pet cageb. water a plantc. turn lights off before nap timed. line leaderse. assist with set-up for breakfastf. assist with set-up for lunchg. assist with set-up for snack

3. Use the words “responsible” or “responsibility” to reinforce them for their hard work.“You were very responsible when you watered the plant, thank you. Your responsibilitythis week is to set napkins out for snack.”


39

lchrsActivity: The Not So Secret Garden


Facility and Equipment: A small plot on the playground that has been tilled and readyfor planting

Description:1. Introduce a unit on plants in the spring or early summer. Tell the children that the

preschool class is going to plant a garden. To make sure that the flowers and vegetablesgrow, everyone will have to take on some responsibility. Ask the group, “What do youthink we might need to do to help the flowers and vegetables grow?” (Water them, pullweeds, cover them if it’s going to get cold, keep the birds and rabbits away, etc.)

2. Throughout the growing period, make sure everyone has a part in tending the garden.


40

lchrsActivity: Classroom Pet



Description:1. Ask the class if they would like to get a pet for the room. Ask, “How would you feel

about that?” (Expect excitement.) “What kind of pet would you like?” (Suggest a bird,rabbit, guinea pig, fish, gerbil, etc.) Say, “The problem with getting a pet is we’re goingto need some money to buy the pet, a cage, toys, and food. How can we get themoney? We’ll have to earn it.” Agree on a classroom fundraiser where the children doall of the work. Some ideas are:a. bake saleb. lemonade standc. selling painted pet rocksd. selling a children’s cookbook

2. Have the children assume responsibility for the actual sales. Do not allow their parents totake over the sales job.

3. When the money is collected, count it and determine what you can afford to buy. Ifpossible, take a field trip to a pet store. If not, buy the supplies yourself and explain tothe children the process you went through.

4. Reinforce the class by affirming their sense of responsibility. They wanted a pet and theyworked hard to earn enough money to buy one. Tell them that the responsibility doesn’tend there. Say, “Now we all have to be responsible for seeing that our pet is fed, thecage is cleaned out, and our pet has what it needs to be happy and healthy.” Developboth a list and a plan for how these responsibilities will be carried out.


41

lchrsActivity: Dramatic Play… House


Facility and Equipment: Dramatic play, block learning center

Description:1. Merge the dramatic play and block corner to play house. As children enter and leave,

talk about the responsibilities and jobs everyone has: washing clothes, ironing,sweeping, preparing meals, washing dishes, bathing the baby, mowing the lawn,pulling weeds, painting, etc.

Complements: Abundant Assets alliance

42

lchrsActivity: Art


Facility and Equipment: Art table, art supplies

Description:1. Set out crayons, markers, or colored pencils. Ask the children to draw pictures of

themselves doing a job or chore at home: a picture of them being responsible.Suggestions could be:a. setting the tableb. picking up their toysc. playing with a baby siblingd. brushing their own teeth

2. Display pictures under an “Our Preschoolers are Very Responsible at Home” heading.


43

lchrsActivity: Buddy System



Description:1. As children take a walk through the neighborhood (or even through the YMCA), stress

the importance of being safe by staying together. A buddy system is a way to helpmake sure that everyone stays with the group. Under the buddy system, you pair up witha friend and hold hands. Each of the buddies is “responsible” for making sure that theother buddy stays with the group and follows the basic rules: no running, use indoorvoice, etc. Ask them to find a buddy. Are they ready?


44

lchrsActivity: Litter Clean-up


Facility and Equipment: Playground, YMCA grounds, nearby park, or neighborhood; trash bags

Description:1. Say, “To make sure that the grass continues to grow and the Y/park/neighborhood is a

pretty place, we all have to assume responsibility for keeping it clean. How can we dothat? We must be careful to find a trash can to get rid of our trash, or to hold onto ituntil we do. We must never throw trash on the ground. Today, we’re going to beresponsible preschoolers. We’re going to clean up an area where other people may nothave been responsible.”

2. Give each child a bag and head out to the playground. (This is a great activity after awindy day.)


45

lchrsActivity: Teamwork…Parachute


Facility and Equipment: Classroom or outdoors

Description:1. Gather children together for a parachute play.2. Discuss how important it is that everyone take a part of the parachute and work together

to make it tight, go up and down, etc. Say, “When someone lets go or doesn’t work.We rely on one another and everyone has a responsibility to the rest of the group.”

3. Play the mushroom game: Everyone raises the parachute at the same time. Let it fill withair and let it slowly fall to the ground.

4. Play Over and Under: Everyone raises the parachute at the same time. Let it fill with airand let it slowly fall to the ground.

5. Play Ball Surfing: The teacher throws a ball onto the parachute and the children ripplethe parachute to create waves. Everyone works together to try to keep the ball fromfalling off the parachute.


46

lchrsActivity: Stone Soup


Facility and Equipment: “Stone Soup,” big black pot, stove or hot plate

Description:1. Read the story “Stone Soup.” Discuss how the soup was made. Each of the villagers

selected something from their garden or farm and added it to the big black pot.Working alone, they never could have made soup; it would have been just a big potwith boiling water and stones. By working together, they were able to create a delicioussoup. Tell them, “We’re going to do the same thing here at preschool. Each of you isgoing to be responsible for bringing in one item that we can add to the boiling waterand stones to help make soup. We’re all counting on you and hope you’ll hold up yourend of the bargain.”

2. Assign each preschooler to bring a food item such as: beef stock, beef, potatoes,carrots, onions, peas, etc.

3. During free play, invite each child to prepare his or her food item and add it to thesoup.

4. Make sure that you pull out the stones just before you serve the soup. Dish up a servingfor each child. Marvel at how wonderful it tastes. Tell them, “We were able to make thissoup because we worked together. Each of us was responsible for just one item, and byworking together, we were able to make soup.”

5. Thank everyone for remembering to bring their food item, for being responsible, and forhelping to make great stone soup.

Complements: Abundant Assets Alliance:

47

lchrsActivity: Responsibility Chart



Description:1. Make a responsibility chart to send home with the children. This will help parents to

reinforce responsibility at home. List the activity and a spot for a check or a star next toit noting that the preschooler almost always does this, sometimes does this, or almostnever does this.a. dresses selfb. brushes teethc. puts toys awayd. puts coat awaye. puts dirty clothes in laundry basket/shootf. helps set or clear tableg. goes to bed on time without a full

2. Encourage parents to discuss these responsibilities with their child and work on anyresponsibilities that the child never does (or does not like to do).


48

lchrsActivity: Earth Day Recycling

Ages: 3–5Value(s): Respect, Responsibility

Facility and Equipment: Cardboard boxes, objects suitable for recycling (newspapers, plastic,cardboard, cans, etc.)

Description:1. Introduce the concept on Earth Day. Invite the children to start a recycling campaign.

Discuss why it is important to recycle. It keeps the environment clean; reduces theamount of garbage in landfills; and protects birds, fish and other animals. This isespecially important because sometimes they eat garbage and it makes them sick. Theycan also get caught in six-pack wrappers or eat pieces of broken balloons, which canget stuck in their throats.

2. Ask the children, “What do we use in our classroom that we might be able to recycle?”Some answers might be: paper, food cans, and milk jugs.

3. Have the children decorate a recycling bin.


49

lchrsActivity: “Kids for Character” Video

Ages: 3–5Value(s): Caring, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility

Facility and Equipment: “Kids for Character” video (was mailed to all YMCAs in March 1996),VCR, TV

Description:1. Show the “Kids for Character” video. (If the children are very young, you may need to

show the video in sections.)2. Feel free to stop the video along the way to sing a song or discuss a point.3. When it’s over, ask the children who they saw in the parade: Barney, Babar, Lamb

Chop, etc.4. Ask, “Wouldn’t it be fun if we did a Kids for Character parade? What do we need to

do to have a parade? Wear costumes, carry a banner, have a place to march, singsongs, and have music.” Work with the children to design a parade. Parade through theYMCA or the neighborhood. If possible, plan it for a time when parents can observefrom the side lines (or even be a part of it).

50

lchrsActivity: Character Development Rainbow


Facility and Equipment: Art table

Description:1. On a large bulletin board, outline a four-colored rainbow (red, blue, yellow, and green).

As children exhibit any of the four values, give them the matching colored crayon andhave them color in part of the rainbow. The goal is to complete the rainbow. During thetime period allotted, track which behaviors your class is really good at, and whichbehaviors they need to improve upon.

51

lchrsActivity: Character Development Review


Facility and Equipment: Circle area, feely box, colored beads, finger paint, paper

Description:1. Gather the children together in a circle. Although it may seem like you’ve discussed and

covered these topics with the preschoolers time and time again, remember thatpreschoolers learn through repetition.

2. Mention to the group that over the past few months we’ve spent a lot of time talkingabout caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. We even matched a color to each ofthese four words. Ask, “Does anyone remember what they were? Red for caring, bluefor honesty, yellow for respect, and green for responsibility.”

3. Fill a feely box (a closed-in box with a hole to put in a hand and pull an object outwithout seeing what the object is) with red, blue, yellow and green beads.

4. Going around the circle, one-by-one, have each child reach in and pull out a bead. Askthem, “What color is your bead? Can you remember what it stands for?” If they need alittle prompting, ask the rest of the group. Ask the child to think of one thing he or shedid that was caring, honest, respectful, or responsible. They may need a few remindersor need you to reword it for them.

5. Continue around the circle until everyone has had a turn.6. As the group moves into free play, set out red, blue, yellow and green finger paint in the

art corner.

3–5 circle area, puppets - cloud object storage | … develop… · facility and equipment:circle...

Documents